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The constant study of inventive and ingenious 
minds, to give each of the numerous departments of 
our business distinctive significance, has suggested 
this review of the evolution of the Stationery business. 
One does not realise the vast improvements in com- 
mercial, decorative and artistic Stationery, until 
one begins to think of the many years which elapsed 
before this great industry was brought to its present 
perfected state. Nowhere is this more apparent than 
in our own establishment, and with pardonable pride 
we invite our friends to visit us and learn from 
actual investigation the great labor and manipulation 
necessary to produce that apparently simple thing— 
a sheet of paper. We offer the facilities of our office 
to those visiting New York on business. 

Very truly, 

^be Berlin a Sones lenipelope Co* 

NE\N YORK : PHILADELPHIA : 

130-2-4-6-8 WILLIAM STREET. 3D AND CHESTNUT STREETS. 

SAN FRANCISCO: 
217 BUSH STREET. 



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COPYRIGHTED, 1386, 



>~- •■■<>'' ■■BY-We-BEW.IN & JONES ENVELOPECO^'N. v.-' -' '-^ ■• "^ ' -' . v . 



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LY a scrap of paper ! A 
something made from 
rags and refuse— and 
yet how much it sig- 
I nifies. Has any one 
reflected what the 
world would be with- 
out paper? Were 
there a paper famine 
in the year 1888, as there was in Rome 
during the reign of the Emperor Tibe- 
rius, the result would be ruin, disaster 
and chaos. The machinery of govern- 
ments would come to a standstill, the 
wheels of commerce would be clogged ; in 
fact it would be almost impossible to predict 
the consequences of even a temporary sup- 
pression of this gigantic industry. With the 
era of paper-making and printing, the earth 
awoke to a new existence, and the dawn of 
a brighter day illuminated the entire civilized 
world. 

In primitive ages, the history of nations 
was handed down by word of mouth from 
generation to generation, until finally man 
began to trace rude pictorial symbols on the 
sands of the desert, on clay, and even on the 
sides of the rugged rocks. The bark of trees, 
palm leaves, the skins of animals, reptiles, 
fishes, and even that of human beings, were 
called into requisition for writing materials. 
(3) 






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The wisdom of the sages was held so precious, that it 
has been graven on gems, on the dull lead, the yellow 
gold and the sparkling silver. 

Language is the embodiment of thought, and 
writing is the materialization of language. The 
ancient Egyptians endeavored to thus immortalize the 
learning of her wise men, and the history of her relig- 
ion and people are chiseled imperishably upon the 
mighty monoliths of her sanctuaries, and traced in 
symbolic language upon the walls of her vast charnel 
houses. 

Egypt's glory is a thing of the past, and many of 
the precious secrets pertaining to her arts and manu- 
factures lie buried deep beneath the dust of ages. 

And yet, one apparently fragile substance has sur- 
vived for centuries ; the inexorable finger of time has 
touched lightly the rolls of papyrus which have been 
unearthed by antiquarians from Egyptian tombs. 
ChampoUion discovered one in a perfect state of 
preservation, which had been placed on the body of a 
mummy 3500 years before Christ. 

The papyrus plant is a kind of reed which grows 
in abundance along the marshy banks of the Nile. 
Papa is the Egyptian word for reed, and from this the 
name " paper" is derived. The Egyptians endeavored 
to preserve the secret of its manufacture, and Greece 
and Rome were supplied from this source. Ancient 
writers inform us that the plant was stripped of its 
membraneous tissues, which were of such delicate text- 
ure that it was necessary to glue several layers together, 
which was done by wetting them with the water of the 
Nile. As the waters of that sacred stream do not at the 
present day possess any adherent qualities, we cannot 

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but regard this statement as somewhat problematical. 
Other historians say that the leaves were united by 
means of a paste made of bread crumbs soaked in boil- 
ing water, and the material was beaten to the required 
thickness with a hammer. 

The Hieratic or sacred paper was dedicated to the 
portrayal of holy subjects, and was so fine that it would 
scarcely bear a pen. The Egyptians considered it of 
such inestimable value, that they refused to part with it 
until it had been used. The Romans invented a process 
by which the writing could be obliterated, and in this 
way made it subservient to their needs. 

Bundles of papyrus are exhibited in the Vatican, 
measuring one hundred and twenty feet in length by 
from eight to fifteen inches in breadth. They are rolled 
around cylindrical sticks, in order to preserve them. 
These rolls were called volumen, hence our word 
" volume." 

In the seventh century, papyrus was supplanted by 
parchment, this material being invented by Eumenes, 
king of Pergamos, in Asia Minor. It was called " Per- 
gamena," in honor of the august inventor, hence parch- 
ment. This substance was made from the skin of 
rabbits, hares and other animals. Vellum was a superior 
kind of parchment, but was too expensive for ordinary 
consumption, as it was manufactured from the skins of 
still-born lambs and young calves. When manuscripts 
were offered to sovereigns, the vellum was dyed a bril- 
liant purple, that color being relegated to royalty. 

The rudimentary art of paper-making was acquired 
by the Arabians from the nomadic tribes of Bukharia, 
and Damascus appears to have been one of the first 
cities where it was made, for it was known at that time 

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as " Carta Damascena." There was a manufactory 
established at Samarcand, as early as the year 648, lor 
making paper from silk, while about the same time there 
was one in Mecca for producing it from cotton. 

When the Moors invaded Spain, they carried with 
them the knowledge of this useful art, which they im- 
parted to the conquered Spaniards. We are indebted 
to this semi-barbaric race for many useful inventions. 

The Chinese, who claim to have invented everything, 
from fire-crackers to the printing press, assert that they 
knew how to make paper from silk and cotton as far 
back as the first century. 

Pliny informs us that in his day there were seven 
distinct species of paper. The most expensive was the 
Hieratical or sacerdotal ; the Amphitheatrical was 
not as fine, and was so named from the place where it 
was made. The Fannienal owed its designation to the 
manufacturer, Fannio, and was almost identical with 
the Amphitheatrical. The Saitical came from the city 
of Sai, and was composed of the vilest refuse. The 
Tenionical was an extremely coarse article, resembling 
bark fibre, while the Emporetical was so rough it could 
only be used for wrappmg paper. 

A manuscript preserved in the Bibliotheque Imp^riale, 
in Paris, is written on cotton paper, and is dated 1050. 
One in the Tower of London, to which is appended 
the signature of Henry III of England, is on paper 
made of mixed materials. 

Tablets of wood, ivory or metal, were at one time 
coated with wax, and inscribed by means of a sharpW 
pointed instrument of iron. Some of them resembled 
our school slates, while others consisted of twenty leaves 
bound together by means of a strip of parchment. 

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Alfred the Great was in the habit of recording his 
thoughts on waxen tablets. The variety of substances 
that were in use before the modern process of making 
paper from rags was discovered was almost endless. 

Even asbestos was employed in perpetuating the 
ideas of men. It was indestructible, even when sub- 
jected to the action of fire, and the letters were made of 
gold. In the Vatican may be seen Mexican and Peruvian 
manuscripts written on human skin. 

The era of the manufacture of paper from linen and 
cotton characterized the difference between the ancient 
and modem processes. With increased facilities, the 
cost of this most important article diminished, and when 
mechanical appliances were invented, paper could be 
made at such a reduced rate, that what had been hereto- 
fore deemed a luxury was within the reach of almost 
every one. 

From Spain, linen paper passed into France, in 1290. 
It was carried to Germany in 13 12, and did not reach 
England until 1320. The signature of Adolphus, Count 
von Schomberg, is affixed to a document of 1239, but 
the paper must have been of Spanish make. It was not 
until the fourteenth century that the industry was in- 
augurated in France, most of the mills being at Bor- 
deaux. In the fifteenth century, the Dutch awakened 
to the importance of paper-making, and soon became 
renowned for the excellent quality of their paper. Until 
about 1495, all of England's supplies were drawn from 
foreign countries, and in the reign of Henry VII, John 
Tate, a son of the Lord Mayor of London, erected a mill 
at Hertford. 

It was not until 1588 that John Speilman, jeweler to 
the queen, established another manufactory at Dart- 

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mouth. There was but little advancement made until 
1685, when the French refugees who fled to England 
gave an impetus to the trade by instructing the English 
workmen in improved methods of manufacture. In 
1690 an act of Parliament was passed to promote this 
industry, and from that time substantial progress was 
made. 

According to Mesumeci, the materials necessary for 
making paper were reduced to a pulp by the process of 
maceration in a mortar, and the material thus produced 
was placed to dry on brass frames. When finished, the 
sheets were sorted into quires of uniform size, much in 
the style of the present day. 

With all the modern paraphernalia of machinery, and 
the improvements of every kind, it will be perceived 
that the modern methods of paper-making do not differ 
materially from those in vogue at the very inception of 
the process. 

The first paper from John Tate's mill was almost of 
the consistency of pasteboard, but was tough and endur- 
ing. Modern appliances, while enhancing the beauty 
of its texture, fail to preserve the inestimable quality of 
durability. The chemicals used in extracting the color 
from the rags impair the strength of the fibres and ren- 
der them more liable to decay. 

The first mechanical device for manufacturing paper 
was due to the ingenuity of a Frenchman, Louis Robert, 
and in 1799 a patent was granted him by the French 
government for the term of fifteen years. The machine 
was purchased from him by Didot, a French printer, 
who set it up in England. 

In 1806 Fourdrinier perfected his self-acting machin- 
ery, which he introduced successfully into England. 

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In the year 1690, John Rittenhuysen a native of Hol- 
land, built the first paper-mill in America. It was 
situated in Roxboro, Pa., and the spot where the build- 
ing once stood is still known as " Paper Mill Run." In 
1 7 10 another one was put into operation at German- 
town, Pa. An act to encourage this industry was 
passed in the Massachusetts Legislature in 1728, and 
in 1730 the first mill in New England was erected in 
Milton, Mass. In 1801 the first patent was issued in 
America ; it was granted to Daniel Henchman and 
others, for the period of ten years. By the terms of the 
contract the patentees were required to turn out one 
hundred and forty reams of brown paper and sixty 
reams of printing paper within fifteen months. The first 
workmen were brought over from England, and they 
instructed their brethren of the New England States in 
the industrial art. Thus the knowledge was handed 
down from artisan to apprentice in succession, for the 
period of one hundred and forty years. Step by step im- 
provements were perfected, and from these small begin- 
nings date the development of this invaluable and re- 
munerative branch of productive industry in the United 
States, on which thousands of people depend for support. 

The difference between the hand and machine made 
papers is very slight, and lies in the manipulation of the 
sheets. In the hand-made qualities, the workman shakes 
the frames which are covered with pulp, examining 
each sheet in turn, to see that it is perfect. 

To the rag-picker's basket and the scrap-bag of the 
fine lady we are indebted for the cotton and linen rags, 
which are the principal materials from which paper is 
made. These are sorted, and the best and cleanest are 
separated from the refuse ; they are then thoroughly 

(9) 



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cleansed, and all the coloring matter is extracted by a 
process of bleaching. Until the eighteenth century, no 
materials besides cotton rags and hemp were used. 
Excellent paper is now made from esparto, a kind of 
grass which grows in Spain and South Africa. There 
are two modes of preparing the fibres, one being 
mechanical and the other chemical, and in 1866 a patent 
was issued for making paper from this substance. 
Wood pulp is extensively employed in Germany, and a 
patent was granted for making paper by this process 
in Philadelphia in 1867, and in Paris about the same 
year. Paper was successfully made from hop-stalks in 

France in 1873. 

Parchment is produced from a vegetable substance, 
and the secret of its manufacture was discovered in Paris 
in 1846, a similar invention being patented in the 
United States in 1857. It is principally in demand for 
legal documents and the printing of fine etchings and 
engravings. 

Paper may be made from almost any fibrous sub- 
stance; and hemp, flax, manilla, bamboo, straw, old 
ropes, old sacking and kindred stuffs are called into 
requisition for this purpose. The bark of the lime 
tree, the hawthorn, birch and mallow have been used, 
as also the fibres stripped from the nettle and thistle. 

Ivory paper, to supply the place of ivory for the use of 
artists, has been invented. It possesses many obvious 
advantages over the real article, which is very expen- 
sive, and almost unobtainable in sheets of any size. The 
ivory paper is about an inch in thickness and of super- 
ficial dimensions. The surface is beautifully smooth, 
of even texture and excellent color. It does not become 
discolored with age, and is very substantial. Pencil- 

(10) 



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marks may be easily erased, and, in case of necessity, it 
can even be scraped with a knife without injury. 

Japan alone produces ninety different kinds of paper, 
and the Japanese and Chinese varieties are beautiful 
both in tint and texture. They are much in demand 
for the printing of etchings, but are so delicate that 
they require mounting on thicker paper. The Chinese 
rice paper is extremely elegant, but also very perish- 
able. The Japanese even make their umbrellas from 
paper, which, by some process, they render impervious 
to rain. 

IVATER-MARKS. 



Few persons unacquainted with the process of paper- 
making understand how water-marks are produced. 
The explanation is very simple. The mold or wire 
frame, on which the pulp is laid to dry, 
is slightly raised in that part where it 
is desirable to stamp the water or, in 
other words, the trade mark. In conse- 
quence of this elevation, less pulp lodges 
in that spot than in other portions of the 
mold, and the paper is proportionately 
thinner. By this means, the counterpart 
of the design remains impressed upon 
each sheet. 

It is unfortunate that the early paper 
manufacturers, in common with those of 
the present time, omitted the dating of their paper. 
We can, it is true, form an approximate idea of the era 
to which certain water-marks pertain, but it is impos- 

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sible to determine the exact date at which much of the 
old paper was made. 

To the careless observer, these marks appear of trifling 
importance, only serving to distinguish the paper made 
by one man from that manufactured by another. Anti* 
quarians owe a debt of gratitude to the person who 
first inaugurated this custom, for the water- 
mark has proved invaluable in determining 
the age of manuscripts and books. Heirs- 
at-law have come into their own, through 
the discovery of fraudulent testaments by 
means of the water-mark, and forgeries 
1301. have been detected in the same manner. 
Before a man commits himself irrevocably on paper, 
it would be wise for him to examine it and see that it is 
free from any distinguishing mark, for a seemingly 
trifling imprint might afford " confirmation strong as 
Holy Writ," when examined in the law courts. 

At any rate, water-marks are almost coeval with the 
making of paper from rags, for the first 
trade-mark known can be traced back 
to the year 1302. This rude emblem 
was a globe surmounted by a Latin 
cross, and was an ornament held in the 
hand of sovereigns in coronation page- 
ants. It was symbolical of the triumph 
of Christianity over the universe. A ram's 
1330 comes next in order, and is rather suggestive of 
the employment of wool in paper. These emblems are 
crude and inartistic, for evidently the ancient paper- 
makers were not artists. 

On the old French paper may be seen a shield with 
the emblematic lilies of France, while the distinctive 

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mark of Dutch paper was a large P, which was the 
initial of Duke Philip of Burgundy. This was some- 
times interlaced with 
a Y, Ysabel being the 
name of Duke Philip's 
spouse. This mark re- 
mained intact for one 
hundred and sixteen 
years. The unicorn, 
which was the support 
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1473. 
SiZe of Sheet, 17x12. 




cutcheon, was also sometimes 
used; it signified strength and 
purity. The caput bovis or bull's 
head, was also indicative of 
Dutch paper, and was typical of 
power, as the anchor was the 
emblem of stability and hope. 
Caxton and some of the early 
printers were fond of stamping 
the paper on which their books 
were printed with an ox-head 
crowned by a star. 

The open hand, extended as if 
in the act of benediction, was 
the mark of what is still known 
as " hand paper." 

The pot quarto was of a kind 
much in demand for the printing 

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of pamphlets, play bills, etc. It was 
of standard size, and each manufac- 
turer added his own private mark to 
the beer tankard or flagon with which 
it was stamped. The Dutch appear 
to have been the originators of this 
symbol, which is quite suggestive of 
the favorite beverage of that nation. 
Some manufacturers also added their 
initials. 

John Tate's device was an eight- 
pointed star within a circle. The 
paper made by him, although thick 
and yellow, is exceptionally good. 

During the reign of Charles I all 
English paper was stamped with the 
royal arms of England. At one time, 
the monarch finding the revenues of 
the kingdom inadequate to his expenditure, in consid- 
eration of certain 
moneys, granted 
monopolies to sev- 
eral companies for 
the manufacturing 
of paper. On the 
accession of Oliver 
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manded the royal 
arms to be removed, 
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dered the substitu- 
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1643. 
Size of Sheet, 16x12. 




1649. 
Size of Sheet, 15JX 12. 



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circumstance is ascribed the origin of what is termed 
" Fool's-cap " paper. Other authorities declare that the 
name is only a corruption of the two Italian words/oglia 
capa, which was in turn derived from the hatin folium, a 

leaf, in allusion to the cus- 
tom of using leaves instead 
of paper in early times. 
The /o£-lta capa was a sheet 
of paper of the original size. 
The fool's cap and bells 
was in turn discarded, and 
in its place the figure of 
Britannia was stamped. 

During the year 1649, a 
large hat appeared on much 
of the paper. It had some- 
what the appearance of a 
cardinal's hat, but was prob- 
ably intended as a satire 
upon the broad-brimmed 
^^^ ^..^ beavers of the Puritans, 

v^ J With the advent of the 

penny post, " post-paper " 
made its appearance, the 
device on it being a post- 
boy's horn. It has descended to us with the size and 
texture but slightly changed. 

The fleur de lis is still the distinguishing emblem of 
what is called " Demy " paper, which is almost unal- 
tered. 

A sheet of paper three miles long and four feet wide 
was made at the Whitehall Mills, in Derbyshire, in 
1830. 




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Size of Sheet, 15jxl2. 



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Size of Sbeet, 15^x13. 



As far back as 1685 
the Italians used gilt- 
edged paper, and in 1754 
we are informed that 
stationery with a mourn- 
ing border was so com- 
mon that people of dis- 
tinction refused to use 
it. It was considered a 
mark of vulgarity, and 
the tradesmen were in 
the habit of using black 
edges on their account 
books. 

In connection with a 
short history of envel- 
opes, cards, menus and 
fancy stationery, it will 
be well to mention the 
derivation of the word 



STATIONER. 



The ancient and modern meaning of the term is by 
no means synonymous. The Stationarius was formerly 
an official connected with a university, his " station " or 
book-stall being situated in some public thoroughfare. 
His business was to sell the books transcribed by the 
Kalligrapher, a scribe who was under the supervision of 
the Librarius. It is plainly to be seen that the word 
has been perverted from its original meaning, as the 
modern stationer supplies the author with the imple- 
ments of his calling, while he of olden time only 

(16) 






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disposed of the products of the author's pen. The 
London Stationers Company is an ancient and very 
wealthy guild, to which has been accorded many 
privileges. They existed as a fraternity in 1603, being 
incorporated during the reign of James I. 



LETTER WRITING. 



To indite an epistle in the Middle Ages was consid- 
ered a more arduous undertaking than to fight a battle. 
In those days only priests and learned men knew how 
to write, for even the highest nobles could not sign 
their own names. When it was desirable to address 
some high dignitary on an occasion of haut cir^monie, I 
it was necessary to call in the services of the scribe. | 
In the days of chivalry, verily the sword was mightier j 
than the pen, while at present, according to ourf 
old copy-book axiom, " The pen is mightier than the ; 
sword." In feudal ages, the knight carved his 
adversary dexterously with his sword ; in these days, a 
man stabs his rival with his pen. Although not as 
fatal, the latter method appears quite as effectual. 

There is no evidence of any letter having been 
written in England prior to the Norman conquest. 
The oldest epistle in the British archives is one penned 
by Wuldhan, Bishop of London, who lived about 731. 

Paper was too dear to be an article of general con- 
sumption, but when the new mode of manufacturing 
the receptive materials of graphic art was discovered, j 
letter writing became a more widely spread accom-| 
plishment. 

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The discovery of the art of paper-making, and the in- 
vention of the printing press, have done more to civilize 
the world than any two things before known. The 
amount of paper consumed by a nation is an infallible in- 
dication of its progress in the arts and sciences; and good 
paper is now so cheap as to be within the reach of even 
the humblest. As recently as forty or fifty years ago, 
fine stationery was unknown. When our grandmothers 
desired to respond to a billet-doux, they were obliged to 
take their scissors and cut off a scrap from a large 
sheet of paper, which was at that time the only form in 
which it was sold. The papeterie of a belle of the nine- 
teenth century equals in elegance the other dainty 
accessories of her boudoir, and she would be horrified 
if asked to write a letter on such paper as was in use 
in the eighteenth century. The heavy satin paper, 
ornamented with the initial, monogram or coat-of-arms 
of the fair calligrapher, is considered the most elegant 
kind of stationery, 

MONOGRAMS AND INITIALS 

are beautifully illuminated on fine paper by means of 
chromo-lithography, but in mediaeval ages this work 
was all done by hand. 

Some of the reverend fathers of the church passed 
their entire lives in the scriptorium of the monastery, 
where they embellished the sacred texts with the most 
grotesque and fantastic capital letters. This was known 
as illuminating, from the Latin lumen or light. The 
sombre pages of the yellow vellum manuscripts were 
indeed brightened by the characters of gold and varioi;s 

(i8) 



.': ....... ,, ;.^: qssdo OE won si i2q£q 



biuow ods : ' 



':.3gdOD;S 






colors which grew slowly under the patient fingers of 
the tonsured monks. The letters of each century are 
marked by a style all their own, and any one versed 
in antiquarian lore can readily determine the antiquity 
of a manuscript by the style of ornamentation em- 
ployed in its illustration. 

Some writers assert that the origin of monograms 
may be traced back to the symbolic language of the 
Egyptians, of which an example is given in the Tau or 
T of the Hebrews, who brought this emblem from 
Egypt, where it was the sign of the Egyptian Trinity. 
It was in the form of a nilometer, an instrument used 
for measuring the inundations of the Nile. This ancient 
people also called it " The Letter of Life." 

Monograms were also common in Syria, Greece and 
Rome, for it is quite usual to see them in ancient MSS. 
or on coins. 

In the fourteenth century, when the Emperor Con- 
stantine embraced the Christian religion, he caused the 
sacred monogram I. H. S. to be emblazoned on his 
banner. The symbol was a golden crown enclosing 
the chrismou, surmounted by a pike. It was in com- 
memoration of the crucifixion of our Saviour. This 
device was adopted by the early popes, and it was also 
customary to affix it to the foot of legal documents. 

The monogrammatic treatment of proper names did 
not become popular in France until about the fifth 
century, and it was not in ordinary use in Germany 
until two centuries later. In 1322 it died out almost 
entirely in France. It was usual during the Middle 
Ages to use monograms as trade-marks, each manu- 
facturer having his distinctive emblem. No word 
introduced into the English language has been so 

(19) 



iiifiq srii isbri' 






>iq 



T 

■- jl 



.r; f-f pry:*!' •^'£J''j' r - - ] 

id no D9nox.s;.i_;n\::- riu '..i .o .■■■ a u^jtrij^ouo.i; iK iai32 






misapplied as the term " monogram." This will be 
obvious when the etymology of the word is explained. 
Monos is the Greek for one, and gramma signifies a 
letter ; therefore, " monogram " means one or several 
letters combined so as to form a single one. In order 
to economize time and space, the scribes of old often 
formed several letters into one ; the diphthong M is 
often used in this manner. 

The modern monogram is, strictly speaking, a poly- 
gram, and many of them are of such intricate construc- 
tion as to be absolutely undecipherable. The incon- 
gruities of the monogram are sufficient to drive a 
student of archaeology mad, as, where they are com- ' 
posed of several letters, each one is likely to be in the 
style of a different century. To be correct, a monogram 
should embrace only the letters of one period-, and in 
order to preserve symmetry, a single idea should pre- 
vail throughout. Too many flourishes and a wealth of 
ornamentation are meretricious, and the simpler a 
monogram the more elegant it is. The most appro- 
priate letters for this purpose are the uncial letters, 
and the best models to imitate are those of the 
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. 

Many persons consider that the complexity of a 
monogram adds to its beauty, while in reality it de- 
tracts from it. It more frequently becomes a crypto- 
gram rather than a monogram, for were the writer's 
signature not apparent at the bottom of the page, it 
would be almost impossible to recognize one's corre- 
spondent by his monogram. In reality, they are in 
many instances almost as enigmatical as the famous 
riddle of the Sphynx. 



(20) 






-mas ji£ -(CidJ a-j^rtT/ ,2£ ,DBiT2 ■ .aiDiiJS 

)fifS gMehirofi.yfi- 
■ I '; f?7.R1f;i ; .J. ^-^ 



1 _. .^\.w.. 



COATS-OF'ARMS & CRESTS 

are considered very stylish on letter paper, and when 
appropriately used they are very ornate, and add much 
to the elegance of stationery. If Americans were better 
versed in the noble science of heraldry, many ridiculous 
mistakes might be avoided by those who desire to as- 
sume such insignia. A little information on the subject 
may prove acceptable. 

Although we are denominated by Europeans as a 
nation of shopkeepers, it is an incontrovertible fact that 
many American families are able to trace their lineage 
back through many generations of noble ancestors. A 
number of the first colonists, who left their ancient do- 
mains in search of liberty and wealth, were persons of 
illustrious birth, and even in the wilds of New England 
and in the tangled forests of the South they kept up a 
certain amount of state. They brought with them from 
the Old World the family plate, decorated with their 
armorial bearings, and on their ponderous seals were 
graven the crests and mottoes of the shield. 

In the days of chivalry, the coat-of-arms was not used 
as a mere ornament, as it is at the present time. It then 
had an obvious meaning, and the escutcheon of an old 
crusader was like a mirror, on whose burnished surface 
was reflected the history of many a sanguinary fray, 
its devices serving to record acts of individual 
heroism. These achievements were perpetuated on the 
escutcheon, which descended from generation to gen- 
eration, arid many of the emblems were conferred by 
royal hands, in remembrance of some service performed. 
Heraldry is fraught with meaning, and it may almost 
be termed a mystic language. In the Middle Ages, 

(21) 



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a knight was as recognizable by his blazon as by his 
name, which was often omitted as superfluous. Her- 
aldry forms a link between the past and the present, 
but it received its death blow when the ill-starred 
Charles I was beheaded and Cromwell leveled all dis- 
tinctions of rank. It has never recovered its pristine 
importance, and is gradually falling into disuse. 

But to return to the origin and signification of coats- 
of-arms. The custom originated in the tenth century, 
at the period of the knightly tournaments, but was 
not generally adopted until the eleventh, during the 
epoch of the crusades. When a knight was encased 
cap-a-pie in his armor and wore his visor down, it was 
almost impossible to distinguish him on the battle-field. 
In order to be recognized by his retainers, he wore over 
his coat of mail what was called a "^ cotte d'armeSy' or 
coat-of-arms, on which was embroidered some device. 
The symbols were afterwards transferred to the shield. 
• The colors and devices of a coat-of-arms have each 
their raison d'etre, and are capable of interpretation. 
The escutcheon is the field or ground-work, which is 
always of some distinctive color. On the field is dis- 
played the charges or accessories, which are of almost 
infinite variety. The colors employed in blazonry are 
seven in number, viz. : or, gold ; argent, silver ; gules, 
scarlet ; vert, green ; purpure, violet ; azure, blue ; and 
sable, black. Argent or white was considered the most 
honorable, as it was worn by high Roman dignitaries. 
Gules was in signification of the blood of the martyred 
saints, and blue was dedicated to the Virgin and con- 
fessors. 

The helmet appears above the shield, and is of gold 
for royalty, while that of a nobleman is of steel, the 

(22) 



,:n9^:0iq ?.'"(:* Da£ laf:q ffds d^9wi'^>d i":c.( £ gijr-o^ vidIb 
: ■ .Ad diB ' ■ jud 



.aoilKJsi\ - ■'/ ^y- ■ >- ■ - . • 'isdJ 

3J li;;-''" ■ ' : :^ '?■-■■:! :^rtT 

-sib ". ' ' ■ . ■ ■ ■ 0Ti5V/li5 

bk>>. / .;,:.'. ■■■■' ■■■"■' -■.•..>": ^3 .;•:>. :.v'jil sdT 

( s^ ) 



various degrees of rank being designated by its position. 
Either the torse or wreath, and the coronet or cap of 
dignity, surmounts the helmet, and out of one of these or- 
naments springs the crest, which is the most conspicuous 
point of the escutcheon. The word crest comes from 
the Latin crista, meaning the comb or tuft of feathers 
on the head of a bird. As the name indicates, the crest 
was originally a panache, of several plumes, placed in 
front of the helmet. It was also used to decorate the 
heads of horses in battle. At a later period, fabulous 
fish, mystic birds, griffins and human figures were 
used. 

The motto usually accompanies the crest, and is a 
terse sentence, probably derived from the battle-cry of 
some warrior, or is in allusion to the bearings of the 
escutcheon. It is sometimes a mere jingle of harmoni- 
ous sounds, as is the case with that of the Earl of Bal- 
carran, which runs thus : " Astra Castra, numen lumen" 
which being interpreted means, " The stars my canopy,^ 
Providence my light." That of the Marquis of Ayles- 
bury consists of only two words — " Think and Thank." 

With the advent of rich and elegant stationery, the 
custom came in vogue of embellishing the page with the 
coat-of-arms or crest, the latter being more commonly 
employed. It is most inappropriate for a lady to use her 
husband's crest on her paper, as no woman has a right 
to use a crest, save only a sovereign princess. A 
lady, provided she is an heiress in her own right, 
may quarter her arms with those of her husband during 
his lifetime. An unmarried woman's escutcheon is 
totally different from that of a man, as it is shaped like.. 
a lozenge. The why or wherefore of this is a mystery. 
Another flagrant mistake is the employment of false 

(23) 



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bio'w jjilT 


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r;:: ;— ,m cA Ve-s fffiB.T 5jfi;t 


'.i.::.. ■-.'.. ; 


■ ■' -' •'^■j- £IO 


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■■ .:. , .^^ •• ^ .nan 




.tr^gil 



•to a^oif J lo ■ - ) bnis.it^ff'ib-: rKii ?:intfo .IT: o«^ -{tin-gib 

(noil Esmoo j^^'ic 
aisdtesl lo Ikri .'V 

fii baoBfrr ..esiirulq 

a fit 5i£-' .^: -^ ■ ' '■'■ 
rr'o'j-idi': 



\a -^(lo-^SiiJsd 9f?'^ M<:ni bavhsb v'id-sdo^iq ,90091 ntae e?B'-i«):? 
sdj lo z'gnhmd €di of nohniki m r' -tr -;'■ -.gw 3010^: 
•momtml io 3l"gnr['.9i3m s g'^miisoio.'. .- ioiijoes 

-eal^A' k)- ei.L '^oi^ 

",5fni3i''T '". ' . '.> '■ "iud 

5di .^r.. . ■ .. i-:.:i: -u' . ,';;--■,. .- .. 77- 

9rf:J tifrN ^:g. • .7!d2niad£H9 to 3is-g0' ;;■ ■:. ^ v: :> caotsiio 

• Tlno.fnraoa sioiri .;gj:ne.d liJltiJ arij ,1§3TQ 10 .3ra-ii5-io-ii;oo 

. Tsd ?Su oi ^bfil £ lo) 3li;hqoiqq!3;ti.f iaom 31 ;ri ,b&\n>lqfn9 

td^h ^ a.sd fi£mow en s£ ,i5qsq.i3d itc •■: ' buBds^nd 

.SBQomiq n-ghi^Yoe- .?i ^Ino svfig 42-io .s afcir: o.t 

gnhirb bfji. : Ho aaodj^ dtlw affii^ 'aiip\{}Bni 

al fics>doiuoea aoL.i:rfow ^'->mB(nnif .aA .ijmuciii aid 

9£..';^] to iiiSaiYQlqffi© c-,Ji si d3i£j2i.5TQ tiliilgistl IQfiiOIlA 



blazonry, as it is an undeviating rule that color should 
never be placed on color, or metal on metal. 




The crests of Washington, Franklin and Fairfax are 
interesting specimens and are of historic value. Wash- 
ington, who could trace his ancestry back through 
several hundred years, used the crest of the English 
family of Washington, which is an eagle, sable^ rising 
out of a ducal coronet, or. 

Benjamin Franklin's seal was engraved with a dol- 
phin's head in pale argent, erased, gules, finned, or be- 
tween two branches, vert. 

The crest of the Fairfax family, is a lion passant 
guardant, sable. Most of the prominent society people 
have their crests emblazoned on their writing paper, 
but it is a wise precaution to first ascertain whether 
a person has a right to the one he intends to adopt. 



ENVELOPES. 



The word envelope is obviously adapted from the 
French verb envehpper, meaning to wrap. The en- 
velope is a comparatively recent development of civil- 
ization, its introduction not antedating the end of the 
seventeenth or commencement of the eighteenth century. 



(24) 






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4oi> -6 /L*iw bs¥jBi^iT9, aBW teg, s'fiili/B5i1 ni0iii[ri3H 
~3d..:io k^^ntsB. ^vim^ tbmmw-\'^^W^ -^-^ ^'^ bB&d s'-oidq- 



:3^r)AW^V\<B 






At that period, envelopes were not considered, as they 
are now, indispensable accessories to correspondence, 
being employed solely to enclose ceremonial com- 
munications addressed to those high in rank. 

The envelope was undoubtedly the result of French 
refinement, ever on the alert for novelty, for the first 
one extant encloses an autograph letter of King Louis 
XIV with the date 1706. Among the old papers in the 
possession of a noble Oxford family is an envelope of 
extremely thin paper; the letter is dated Geneva, 1759. 

One of Madame de Pompadour's perfumed missives 
was found in an envelope of 1760. With the taste for 
embellishment, which was a distinguishing trait of the 
court favorite, she had caused the envelope to be orna- 
mented with a delicate scroll border of flowers and 
leaves. 

At the State Paper Office in London there is one of 
a still more remote epoch. It is of indubitable French 
origin, and was made in 1696. 

A letter of Frederick of Prussia bears testimony to 
the fact that the use of envelopes was not unknown in 
Germany during his reign. His letter is dated Pots- 
dam, 1796, and the envelope opens at the end, in the 
fashion of a legal document. 

The reason why envelopes were not commonly in 
use, prior to the establishment of the Penny Post, is ob- 
vious, for only one sheet of paper could be sent with- 
out paying double postage. 

Fifty years ago it was considered a great accomplish- 
ment to fold a letter properly. The sheet of paper was 
folded in quite an intricate manner, the edges placed 
one v/ithin the other, and sealed with wax or secured 
by a wafer. 

(25) 



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:iu-i J.U 



:>rfj ffilW .od\i io sqofovfis nf; rn hnrio- r 
at n-won-Aiii! ion 3iiw t^aqolsyrra lo 9?.ji i^fi 



dOO jOij 






3BW"!r^ 'dada'axiT .-^Ix^qoiq lOiSstl £ blot o:t insm 

slew ii' J 



With the increased postal facilities and the reduced 
rate of postage, the necessity for envelopes became ap- 
parent. Before they had become an article of com- 
merce, each person made his own, shaping them from 
a cardboard pattern to suit his convenience. 



l/ISiriNG CAIU^S. 



Modern culture, with the increased requirements of 
social intercourse, seemed to necessitate some method 
by which the return of calls could be indicated. Serv- 
ants could not be depended upon to remember the 
names of visitors, and a card, on which the name and 
address might be inscribed, appeared the happiest way 
of solving the problem. 

From the Latin word charta, signifying a leaf or 
sheet of paper, may be traced the origin of our term 
card. 

The primitive visiting cards were made from the 
refuse bits of pasteboard which were left over after 
playing-cards had been trimmed. On these unfinished 
scraps of paper the belles and beaux of a hundred 
years ago were wont to write their names. 

As recently as 1752 and 1764, even titled personages 
inscribed their names or had them printed on the backs 
of playing-cards. 

Invitations to balls and dinner-parties were also sent 
on these cards. 

When blank cards were introduced, they were as 
often of paper as cardboard, and many of them were 
very diminutive. During the last century it was con- 
sidered stylish to have them about two inches long and 

(26) 






•■•:■■-:-:;• ;-'--^ '■ ■ -■^■"■■•"- '^^'^ ^'*-:- '^i-' * .- . -iarf? 

..qoii dhs.oi' 911W- 307i5a §1 : /uinThn 

89']9i^i''.0?15Q b'^l'^^'^ t'Tf.'VS ,*.>5~''l bi.' . .^ 

' J no 
,. •. ' ' ■ ;' ;h01jGi 313 w sbiso ia..i-j u.::>nv7 



one and one-half wide. Some specimens extant are no 
larger than the end of the thumb. 

As recently as twelve years ago, the Bishop of Madeira 
issued invitations to the Easter celebration on the half 




of the four-of-clubs. This appears rather incongruous, 
but perhaps the worthy churchman was influenced by 
economical considerations. 

Cards were at one time called tickets. 




(27) 



'SIB! 



lisrf odi no 



f "-iiaisS" Sfi j 



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The cards used in 1795 are much more ornamental 
than those we are accustomed to see at the present 
day. We of the nineteenth century repudiate all at- 
tempts at display, but this was not the case at that 




period, as some of the cards of that era are veritable 
gems of art« They were designed by renowned 
painters, and engraved by such celebrated men as 
Raphael, Mengs, Morghens and others, who did not 
consider it beneath them to reproduce these little 

(28) 









^^idfJhsY ^"i£ i5''V iBc;. ■ .dq 



vignettes which the taste of the age demanded. Even 
etchings were seen on many of the cards. A card then 
was not cast aside as it is now, but was preserved as a 
precious souvenir. It is not probable that these dainty 
little morsels of paper were sown broadcast, as is the 
habit of the present day. It is a singular commentary 
on the facility with which even illustrious personages 
can be forgotten, when we remember that the only 
record of the existence of some of the members of the 
beau monde of a century ago is a few old yellow visiting 
cards. 




Paris was then as now the centre from which em- 
anated the fashions in such trifles, and Germany, Italy 
and England soon followed in the lead of the Parisian 
exquisites. 

The taste in cards almost indicates the nationality of 
those to whom they belonged, as the English affected 
landscape subjects, while the Italians seemed to prefer 
mythological designs and imitations of niellos, intaglios 
and bas reliefs. 

(29) 



Cy'/S ..wcbnsfn^b S'sb -^di \c '^,t?,sj srfj rforrf',':; ?,'^^*iV;vn'ix:c 



"-'^•4 '-'■'" 






; 1 no 

10031 

.^bmo 










•>.C5i^^;j^\;. 



i-3:!ioiup:i:i 



The card of the Comte de Nobili was embellished 
with a Greek altar, on which smoked the sacrificial 
offerings. That of the sculptor Canova was a rough- 
hewn block of marble, on which the name was engraved, 
being quite in harmony with the occupation of the artist. 

The Comte Aloyse d'Harrach's name was surrounded 
by a wealth of redundant ornamentation, while that of 
the Marquis de Llano blossomed with a garland of roses 
enclosed in a wreath of olive leaves. 






4 








The New Year's card of Adam Bartsch informs us 
that " Adam Bartsch has the pleasure of presenting his 
compliments and good wishes for the New Year." Mr. 
Bartsch appears also to have indulged in a fondness 
for the brute creation, as on one of his cards is a spaniel 
holding a card in his mouth. There are several cards 
of Cassanova, of which one is unpleasantly suggestive, 
being the figure of an ass carrying a flag, on which is 
the name Cassanova. On another is a man on horse- 
back playing a drum. 

(30) 






!2>r.IV ■>;-«:>? '-^"V^ 



1^: 



■ * w^i» 



5c;3u,:.... ,^ ii ill biygiubm avsii oj: oalis ai^sqQ.^ rioai'^JisH 



The engraving on that of the Marquis de Galle, oi 
Sicily, was the work of Morghens, and represented 
Neptune gazing upon the bay of Naples. A scantily clad 
naiad supports a monumental tablet inscribed with the 
name, and above, Cupid holds a fleur de lis resting upon 
an eagle. A Swiss gentleman, Fischer of Berne, de- 
vises a not very intricate rebus from his name, for it is 
a fishing net held by the figures of a man and woman. 




A card bearing the name of the famous Prince 
Esterhazy, recalls visions of the fabulous wealth of 
that ancient family. It is characteristic of a gallant of 
that era, being a medallion wreathed with flowers and 
upheld by a rosy-fingered Cupid. 

One is preserved of the Russian millionaire Demi- 
doff, the husband of the Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, 
and also Lord Lyttleton's, on which is a picture of his 
favorite dog. Mr. Stapleton's is decorated with a por- 
trait of himself. 

(30 






's^ 



■ '1 dfjj^ !o baiRd8L-i«' ^ffi .Hob 



One Mr. Burdett, evidently an eccentric English- 
man, has left rather a lugubrious memento behind him. 
His card might have been more appropriately used as 
a memorial card, as on it is the counterpart of the tomb 
of Cecelia Metella, on which is recorded his cognomen. 

As fashions are frequently revived, this style of card 
may again become popular, but at the present writing, 
the immaculate white Bristol-board is only considered 
good form, and it would require the endorsement of 
some leader of recognized social position to inaugurate 
a change of fashion. 



MENUS 

are of much greater antiquity than visiting cards, for 
they, in common with other luxurious appointments of 
the table, originated during the Middle Ages. In the 
days of chivalry, kings and nobles followed the example 
of the Roman epicures, and the tables of the wealthy 
were spread with snowy napery and vessels of gold 
and silver containing rare and costly viands. Human 
nature was the same then as now, and the bon vivant of 
yore desired more than a hint of the bonnes boucJtes 
with which he expected to be regaled, 

A quaint old chronicler informs us that " the clearke 
of the kitchen useth (by a trick given up of late) to 
give in a brief rehearsal of such and so many dishes as 
are to come in every course throughout the whole 
service for the dinner or supper, which some do call a 
memorial, others a billet, but some a fillet, because such 
are commonly hanged on the file." 

(32) 



.fiOiiiOfp^oa aid bsisbioo^i al dohlw tio Mhiohl miso^D ic 

b^y^'b!?',i<^o -vino al bTBod fr^':f"^ f'^fidyr fiin{^nn'^Tr(} odi 
','213 ailj ■ , ■ ■ .-O'g 



io gjii;- - :d,t 

dd^ d' ■ ■■:> ^sKisr i£i diij 

3iqm:-.; ^ ck^ t.;if: : _ lo ^vc-: 

io ^«-&>K-*? «ft^ sdi b«.f; :■:.-•''■ -. - .;,t3n 



There appears to be a period when the menu fell into 
disrepute, and was no longer used in private houses, 
except on occasions of great ceremony. Twenty-five 
years ago they were seldom seen anywhere but at the 
table d'hotes of hotels and in large restaurants. They 
now seem indispensable adjuncts to every entertainment; 
but the menu of to-day is simply a survival, or, more 
properly speaking, a revival of that of the age of 
chivalry. In the course of the last dozen years, the 
menu, from being a plain white card, on which was 
written or printed the names of the dishes, has become 
one of the important features of a fashionable repast. 
Artists have not disdained to employ their talent in 
designing novelties in the way of dinner cards, and 
much ingenuity has been expended in the endeavor to 
render them artistic. 

Some of the pretty little French trifles are embel- 
lished with designs depicting life in the Middle Ages, 
while others are emblazoned with heraldic insignia, 
etc. Chromo-lithography reproduces perfectly the old 
illuminated pictures, and the French excel in this style 
of decoration. Menus are often such little dainty art 
bits that they are appropriated by the guests as souve- 
nirs of the festivity. 

It is, however, a mistake to load a menu card with an 
excess of redundant ornamentation, as elegant sim- 
plicity should be the rule. Some hostesses, who desire 
to be recherche, provide the guests with a separate 
menu for the dessert, but a single one generally answers 
the purpose. The high-sounding titles by which some 
of the entrees are designated are both astounding and 
amusing. One would imagine that the convives were 
bloodthirsty cannibals, when we read of " Tendons 

(33) 






m hislBi d^di •'{olqai^ ol .bsoisbaib jfon sv,f?fi 3j2i:tiA 
iSS-^A ^ILbrM 9ffl. ni ^\il ^mioiqeb an-^l3o bdJiw fosfM! 






d' Achilles " (Achilles' heels). As this was the vulnerable 
part of the Grecian hero, they may be supposed to be 
very tender. "Henry VIIl's Shoestrings " might be 
more indigestible, judging from the title, and " Angels 
on Horseback" would suggest something both celestial 
and terrestrial. A menu charmingly decorated and 
gay with satin ribbons is a pleasing object lying on the 
snowy table-cloth beside the plate of rare china, and 
looks almost as gay as the flowers of vivid hue with 
which the board is decked. 

The manufacture of stationery and its legitimate 
auxiliaries has reached such a point of perfection that 
it seems almost impossible to suggest any improve- 
ments. A few years ago society people refused to use 
anything but English and French papers. Now even the 
most exclusive acknowledge that stationery of home 
manufacture equals the English in quality and far sur- 
passes any of the foreign in variety of style. 

We congratulate ourselves upon the fact that Amer- 
ica is in no wise behind other nations in this great field 
of industry. 



(34) 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

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